Proverbs 4:20-23 (MSG)
Dear friend, listen well to my words; tune your ears to my voice.
Keep my message in plain view at all times. Concentrate! Learn it by heart!
Those who discover these words live, really live;
body and soul, they're bursting with health.
Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts.
Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.
Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions.
Keep my message in plain view at all times. Concentrate! Learn it by heart!
Those who discover these words live, really live;
body and soul, they're bursting with health.
Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts.
Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.
Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions.
The first important step in “controlling self” is to have a process for keeping congruent your body, your mind and your spirit. As a leader, what marks your journey to develop the “soft side” of leadership - sensitivity to the qualitative aspects and character issues? For example: Are you expecting your sales team to produce revenue to the exclusion of integrity – white lies, exaggerations, manipulations, “dealing,” etc? Or, do you reward both results AND character?
How do you go about nourishing your body, your mind and your spirit? At work, do you allow your team to actually take real vacations – or are they on call 24/7? Not only is that probably a violation of the law, more importantly it is a violation of God’s law that rest is good and important for his creation. Just as you do not take a drink of water only one day a week, neither can you nourish your mind and spirit for two hours on a Sunday morning. You nourish your body by drinking liquid every day: how are you treating your spirit and your mind? (The Biblical term “heart” is a unique combination of both.)
What about your mind? Did school teach you all you needed to know? What the latest leadership book you have read – and studied (meditated upon)? How are you nourishing your mind with more than technical data about your products/services, the industry or the marketplace?
What of art, music, fiction, poetry, gardening etc. provides nourishment for your mind and spirit?
The “heart” fuels the engine of your mind and body. How do you practice reflection to keep your heart pure? Motives pure? When you look at the results you have produced at work, home or even play, how do you reflect upon them to change behavior to produce a different result? What is your experience with apologizing – recognizing that the results you just produced did not honor God, or other people?
Integration of body, mind and spirit takes work. Do you have a work plan?
Copyright ©2009 P. Griffith Lindell
2 comments:
Griff,
Peace. Knowing that you are going to get through the trials of life is not the same as having to go through them. Peace during those times is a very fickle friend. In sense you KNOW it will be fine because God has given you that peace. His Spirit comforts us during those times or how else could we get through it. Knowing you will not be tested more than you can bear. Fellowshipping with Him through it all. Trusting in Him and understanding His great love for you is without measure is what gets you through those times. But it does not excite us so much that we look forward to going through those times. It is more difficult when we go through it with others, when we bear their burden with them or for them.
Griff, could it possibly be that as a Christian businessman when I grieve over my client's situation and follow the laws and rules to get what is best for them I do that in large part as my job but in a very small part as my ministry to honor God by doing things right and by serving my fellow man by doing my best. So when I die daily by serviing my client's needs I please God by doing it the right way. By treating them the way I would want to be treated and by making the situation the best I can make it.
Then when things do not go in a way that we hope for I have to be strong for them, knowing the trials of this life are due the curse and the usurper who only wants to take away our Peace.
I really do not have time to do justice to a good response so hopefully this is worthy enough.
Dave
Yes, my work plan is more practiced than a written out check list of items that must be done. I do it intuitively. That's the non traditionally credentialed poor mans's way of saying he integrates a bullet proof working plan into his arsenal of business activities that help secure the positive progression of movement towards improved business practices and which will produce results that he can live with, without putting it in writing.
Mine consists of stying in God's word and fellowship with Him. Focusing on doing everything the right way rather than the easy way or occasionally the most profitable way. I take time to discuss the Word with those I trust to be open and honest with me, not just acquiesce to my conclusions. "Iron sharpens iron."
Although it may sound the same it is not so much what would Jesus do (WWJD), because he was not in my profession. Each career field has its own unique features that allows us to deny what is written on our hearts thus allowing us to NOT do the right thing (or rather the best thing) if we want to. The goal is to understand that sometimes even when the law or seemingly ethics will allow us to do somethings, it may not be the right thing.
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